Tbeek,If you read Hankdogs post in this thread I think he gave some good advice. Cool it. If you don't agree so so and let that be it.Finski never directed his OP at anyone directly,just at the general idea. On the other hand your response was verging on a personal attack. This is the kind of thing I made a post about earlier in the week about.It makes for a lot of work for the Mod staff when this stuff takes off running. And believe it or not,we all volunteer our time here.We all have regular day jobs and watch over the forum in our spare time.Which we generally enjoy.I did not originally call any one directly to the carpet,but as there are a select few that like to constantly agitate one another it may be time to take other actions.So all that see this and like jumping on a bandwagon when it comes along,remember the bandwagon can come to a screeching halt.

With that being said,agree to disagree kindly or keep your thoughts from the keyboard.

Sorry buzzbee, no offence intended, but I've never called anyones ideas or opinions stupid, nor have I ever attacked anyone (since taking off the uniform anyway), you'll have to show me proof of that.

It does seem apparent that some (just a few) posters have free reign to belittle anyone they desire w/ no noticable consequence at all. There are some who clearly deserve admonishment from the forum, but who just keep getting away w/ confrontational behavior over and over.

Before ever posting a single word on Beemaster I was a lurker for over two years, but I still chose this forum over others because it seemed more civil. It's a shame mods aren't able to chime in 'before' these things digress. You must know who the trouble makers are. Am I now on that list?

I can only apologize for sinking to the same level (as others) if that's what I've been accused of and will refrain from being baited into these debates in the future, but I must ask;

Is this a two way forum or a one way forum?

Again, I sincerely apologize if I've offended anyone on the forum.

thomas

Logged

"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Comparing humans with bees is stupid (not my first choice of words, just following OP) rolleyes.

No list kept,just sometimes cabin fever sets in way too early it seems. I wish I had time to jump in every time. Or time to read every post every day. But I don't.There have been many instances when regulars have been reeled in. Generally it's a one time thing and we forgive and forget.It just depends on the people involved. And there were a few other threads involving other posters that I had mentioned about before I just throw caution out now and again. No hard feelings.

If true one can only 'assume' that you just haven't lived long enough yet or you haven't spent enough time outside in harsh weather or your just one who is able to blindly ignore extreme conditions.

You choose, as this is all very tiring and serves no purpose.

I'm ashamed that I got caught up in the game. I'll try not to let it happen again....NOT.

People surviving in a sleeping bag??? For how long? A few days at best. I just don't get the joke or the debate.

The 30 persons you mention in an un-heated house would all still be dead (frozen stiff) come Spring in North Wisconsin

thomas

Food + water + insulation = survival you dont need heat if you have enough insulation. See Iniut see laplander see polar expolartion... Read about the heroes of Telemark.Amundsen walked to the south pole... he didnt fly and his stoves were to cook the food!

Bees and humans are heat engines that convert carbohydrates into energy, water and Co2, they have a limited range of heat loss they can sustain, It is ably demonstrated by human emdeavour that they can survive given sufficient insulation, food and water. Scientific studies have shown bees can do it given suffiencent insulation food and water.

The point is of this thread is to provoke thought and reasoning about the environment you provide to your bees not to rely on proverbs. Reasoning will result in You providing your bees with both insulation and food. and understand that putting them a convection driven chiller is cruelty or a failure in reasoning

A 3/4" wooden beehive needs 6Watts for every degree C change in temp (only if you dont make into a U.S. beekeeping convection chiller it takes a lot more if you do). Commercial foam hives in Europe are 0.7 of a watt per degree C. It is easy to make a hive that is 0.25 Watt or lower for every degree C. That means you can have a hive where if the little buzzers wanted could be at 34C in the whole hive with it -40C outside.

I can go to my local builders yard and get materials and build a small box room in a cold store at -40C with a k value of just under 1 watt per degree C in which I would happily sit naked (with no heating) Supply me with food, water beer and a chemical toilet and a TV(low power LED). I use the same physics

T Beek I fear no word are going to convince you - why dont you do some experiments, with a 20w heater and a temperature probe and some insulation materials. Do not rely on proverbs and 100 year old practices

« Last Edit: September 05, 2011, 03:44:15 PM by derekm »

Logged

If they increased energy bill for your home by a factor of 4.5 would you consider that cruel? If so why are you doing that to your bees?

ventilation...all for it , we are talking method, timing amount.The idea is to keep the hive temp within the bees range of control in a well insulated hive: in winter or when heat must be husbanded wall convection circulation. i.e. bottom entrance only with open mesh floor or baffled variant. In summer or when heat is in surplus, chimney convection i.e. a top vent or entrance with a bottom vent or entrance.Reason does not suggest "a sealed hive", more like a trapped bubble of warmth in a open bottomed container for winter. The low tunnel entrance design of an igloo is not by chance.

« Last Edit: September 05, 2011, 06:43:27 PM by derekm »

Logged

If they increased energy bill for your home by a factor of 4.5 would you consider that cruel? If so why are you doing that to your bees?

I would think a open mesh floor (even with baffles) in my environment in winter would render insulation almost useless. wind blowing across that would cause an air exchange rate far surpassing the abilities of the bees heat output in winter cluster. The bubble you describe would only exist in the calmest conditions beyond those you are going to get turbulent mixing not a convective cell inside the hive.

A small top vent does utilize a chimney effect (if there is also a bottom entrance) but air flow can be restricted to the desired rate by opening size.A bottom entrance alone (no mesh) is attractive in the same way as your igloo analogy, but proper sizing would seem critical to insure enough air flow to avoid issues with damp under a variety of conditions.

I don't pretend to have the right solutions, I would just argue that the problem is complex and nuanced.

I would think a open mesh floor (even with baffles) in my environment in winter would render insulation almost useless. wind blowing across that would cause an air exchange rate far surpassing the abilities of the bees heat output in winter cluster. The bubble you describe would only exist in the calmest conditions beyond those you are going to get turbulent mixing not a convective cell inside the hive.

A small top vent does utilize a chimney effect (if there is also a bottom entrance) but air flow can be restricted to the desired rate by opening size.A bottom entrance alone (no mesh) is attractive in the same way as your igloo analogy, but proper sizing would seem critical to insure enough air flow to avoid issues with damp under a variety of conditions.

I don't pretend to have the right solutions, I would just argue that the problem is complex and nuanced

A bottom mesh directly in the wind flow is yet another proverb. The design of the floor and entrance needs to be carefully done. the floor section under the mesh needs to be baffled to allow free vertical movement of detritius and prevent air movement for 2" to 3" under the floor caused by air movement outside the hive. This cannot be done in a 3/4" deep floor.

Logged

If they increased energy bill for your home by a factor of 4.5 would you consider that cruel? If so why are you doing that to your bees?

So I see the general consensus (all seemingly based on personal experience) from this post is that no one ever dies from exposure to extreme weather unless they're ignorant (not 'my' word, please see above poster).

And its good to keep bees warm (even artificially) but people don't need any heat to survive winter. Got it ;)

OK, OK, OK, you all win :-D. Its giving me a major headache.

I'll try and find a way to forget about those who have turned into Popsicle's over the years :-D. (some I apparently mistook for highly intelligent).

Never would've imagined I'd loose (give up/forced out of) this debate, but my head just exploded from all the expert opinions :-D.

thomas

Logged

"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

I am quickly growing tired of this site. All the mud slinging, and snot-nosing is REDICULOUS. I wish the Moderators would BAN the crap out of anyone who comes on another persons thread just to disagree.

Some people pick their nose, some people blow it. As long as we are all breathing.... So be it.

Moderators, please tighten things up. Dont let 3 people ruin this site, I will be the first to stop coming here.

Regardless of agreeing or disagreeing , the whole argument of hive versus cluster is moot for most of us. We already have our preferred method of caring for our hives. Most aren't going to do too much for the hives, a few will insulate, even fewer are going to bother heating. And we're willing to deal with any consequences.

20 years ago, the winter kill rate was about 20%. I doubt that was with extreme measures such as heating a hive. And personally, I find 80% survival acceptable. They didn't bother back then.

Plenty of hives survive just fine for years in leaky creaky old boxes. Some even in buckets and pails. :-D

Yes, I agree a little extra heat is going to help a hive survive, as evidenced from my 2 frame observation hive surviving the winter. But it really isn't worth it in the majority of cases.

Regardless of agreeing or disagreeing , the whole argument of hive versus cluster is moot for most of us. We already have our preferred method of caring for our hives. Most aren't going to do too much for the hives, a few will insulate, even fewer are going to bother heating. And we're willing to deal with any consequences.

20 years ago, the winter kill rate was about 20%. I doubt that was with extreme measures such as heating a hive. And personally, I find 80% survival acceptable. They didn't bother back then.

Plenty of hives survive just fine for years in leaky creaky old boxes. Some even in buckets and pails. :-D

Yes, I agree a little extra heat is going to help a hive survive, as evidenced from my 2 frame observation hive surviving the winter. But it really isn't worth it in the majority of cases.

I usually pick first, just to loosen things up, then blow.

So they fixed in their ways even if the dollar return is less with the old ways compared to the new...illogical but facinating as the alien with the pointy ears used to say.

Logged

If they increased energy bill for your home by a factor of 4.5 would you consider that cruel? If so why are you doing that to your bees?